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Maintaining a personal authorial voice while adhering to the conventions of formal research.
Have you ever read a textbook that felt like it was written by a robot, or a text message that was too messy to understand? Finding the 'sweet spot' in between is the secret to writing papers that people actually want to read.
In formal writing, many students fall into the trap of the passive voice. This happens when the subject of your sentence is being acted upon, rather than doing the action. While passive voice isn't always 'wrong,' it often makes your writing feel sluggish and wordy. To find your authorial voice, you should prioritize the active voice. This makes your claims sound more confident and direct. Think of it as a mathematical relationship: in active voice, , whereas in passive voice, . By putting the 'doer' first, you cut out unnecessary 'to be' verbs like is, was, and were.
Observe how removing the passive voice clarifies the 'who' and 'what' of the sentence:
1. Passive: The ancient ruins were discovered by the team of archaeologists in 1922. (Wordy: 12 words) 2. Active: Archaeologists discovered the ancient ruins in 1922. (Concise: 7 words) 3. Result: The second sentence is 40% shorter and much more impactful.
Quick Check
Rewrite this sentence in the active voice: 'The final report was submitted by the committee last Tuesday.'
Answer
The committee submitted the final report last Tuesday.
A common mistake in Grade 8 writing is the tone shift. This occurs when a writer starts a paper with a formal tone but slips into casual 'slang' or 'text-speak' halfway through. To maintain a consistent voice, imagine you are a professional expert presenting at a conference. You don't need to use 'big words' to sound smart; you need to use precise words. Avoid 'empty' words like stuff, things, or really. Instead of saying 'The results were really cool,' try 'The results were significant.' This keeps your authorial thread strong from the introduction to the conclusion.
Identify the shift in this paragraph and how to fix it:
1. Draft: 'The study proves that sleep deprivation affects cognitive function. Basically, if you don't sleep, your brain gets all mushy and you can't think straight.' 2. The Problem: The second sentence is too casual ('mushy,' 'basically'). 3. Revision: 'The study proves that sleep deprivation affects cognitive function. Specifically, a lack of rest impairs neurological processing and reduces mental clarity.'
Quick Check
Which word in this sentence breaks the formal tone? 'The researchers found that the chemicals were super reactive when exposed to heat.'
Answer
The word 'super' is too casual; it should be replaced with 'highly' or 'extremely.'
The final stage of refining your voice is synthesis. This is where you combine your own ideas with evidence from sources. A common error is 'patchwork writing,' where you just drop a quote into a paragraph without explaining it. Your voice should act as the connective tissue between facts. Use transition words to show the logical relationship between ideas. If is your claim and is your evidence, your voice provides the logic. During peer-editing, look for 'clunky' transitions and replace them with sophisticated connectors like furthermore, conversely, or consequently.
How to synthesize two different sources using your own voice:
1. Source 1: 'Deforestation leads to habitat loss.' 2. Source 2: 'Species extinction rates are rising.' 3. Synthesis: 'While habitat loss is a direct consequence of deforestation, the broader impact is a measurable increase in species extinction rates, suggesting a fragile ecological tipping point.'
Which of the following sentences is written in the active voice?
What is the best way to fix a 'tone shift' in a research paper?
Synthesis means simply listing quotes from different sources one after another.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the difference between active and passive voice and find one example of each in a news article.
Practice Activity
Take a paragraph from a previous essay and highlight every 'is,' 'was,' or 'were.' Try to rewrite those sentences using active verbs to see how it changes your authorial voice.